“I can tell you this as somebody who spent a month in jail for a tweet,” he added.

Opposition figures said that a number of protesters were detained in Moscow, but the police have not confirmed this.

One correspondent for AFP reported seeing a man being dragged away from the rally by his arms and legs.

The government says the so-called digital sovereignty bill will reduce Russia’s reliance on internet servers in the United States.

It seeks to stop the country’s internet traffic being routed through foreign servers.

A second vote is expected later this month.

If it is passed it will eventually need to be signed by President Vladimir Putin.

Russia has introduced a swathe of tougher internet laws in recent years. On Thursday, its parliament passed two bills outlawing “disrespect” of authorities and the spreading of what the government deems to be “fake news”.